4 Ideas for a Cheap Headboard Wall Makeover

In many homes, the bedroom often gets the least decorative attention even though it's the room where we normally spend the most time. And it's no wonder, bedroom furnishings aren't easy on the wallet. However, if you start with the headboard wall — the focus of the room — and go from there, it's easy to establish a vision and get the creative ideas flowing.

• Gallery Wall. I know there is a hot debate about the safety of using shipping pallets as furniture, so let's not even go there today, but I will say that creating a gallery wall around a simple bed frame — even one with no headboard at all — creates an instant focal point. Pick objects that can be affixed securely to the wall, and if you're in the earthquake zone, skip the suggestion entirely. Make sure that your hanging art is hung high enough that sitting up in bed won't cause an avalanche.

• Painted Headboard. You can be as elaborate (picture 3) or as minimalist as you'd like, but defining your sleep-space with a drawn or painted headboard is the most cost effective way to anchor your bed, especially one lacking in an ornamentation.

• Fabric Headboard. There are several ways to spruce up a bed with fabric, some being more costly and labor intense than others — think queen canopy — but simply hanging a tapestry or yard of fabric behind the bed will anchor the space and give it an instantly "finished" look. Use regular curtain rods or simple dowels and eye-hooks to affix them to the wall, and be creative about where you find your fabric — think table clothes, twin flat sheets, etc.

• Wallpaper and Decal Headboard. The decal craze may have lost some steam in the last few years, but it's still a great alternative for renters, dorm dwellers, or anyone seeking to spruce up a plain-jane frame without breaking the bank. Check out Blik and uppercase living for some great headboard decals, or follow Martha Stewart's instructions for creating your own out of wallpaper.